Antennas mounted high up on poles are protected from interference from other neighboring electronic devices and also reduces the exposure to electromagnetic fields for human and animals. It is however important that these antennas are configured in an accurate inclination in relative to an axis to direct and concentrate irradiation to a desired area.
An example of antenna mounting assembly allow tilt adjustment of the antenna is U.S. Patent Application No. 2011/0168855 that depicts a rotating mounting assembly comprising an extension member and a downtilt member being coupled together by a plurality of revolving nutplate hinges such that the downtilt member rotates about the nutplate hinges in relative to the extension member. Each nutplate hinge is formed by an extension flange hinge tab and a downtilt flange hinge tab engaging one another. The coaxial alignment of apertures on the extension hinge tab with apertures on a downtilt hinge tab that is resulted from rotating the downtilt member forms a plurality of adjustment features which accepts a fastener for securing the revolving nutplate hinge in a fixed position.
A downtilt support bracket for mounting an antenna on a metallic tower is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,029,799. This apparatus enables spatial positioning of the antenna by a pipe section. The antenna comprises a pole member with a free end pivotally mounted on a transversal pivot that bridges a pair of spaced apart parallel plates of the bracket. A bolt and nut assembly traverses the pole member and two arcuate slots are respectively formed in the parallel plates, wherein the pole member is rotated about the pivot with the bolt sliding in the two arcuate slots. When a desired position for the pole member is reached, the bolt and nut assembly is tightened to secure the pole member and the antenna in position.
Whilst both prior arts enable the tilt of the antenna to be adjusted and locked at a desired position, the convenience and safety to perform the adjustment were overlooked. The rotating mounting assembly disclosed in U.S. 2011/0168855 requires manual adjustment of the tilt and fastening of the fasteners. The apparatus in U.S. Pat. No. 5,029,799 provides an easier way to adjust the tilt of the antenna by rotating the pole member along the arcuate slot as compared to U.S. 2011/0168855. However, the apparatus similarly requires manual rotating of the pole member and manual fastening of the bolt and nut assembly. Not only is the adjusting work not convenient to be conducted as the person handling the work has to reach a position where he could reach the assembly which is usually mounted at a high position on a pole to rotate the downtilt member or pole handle and securing the tilt in position by fasteners, it also poses danger to the person carrying out the work due to the height of the antenna, the exposure to electromagnetic radiation as well as the high risk of electric shock.
Solutions are thus needed to address the drawbacks of the prior arts mentioned above. Easy and safe adjustment of the tilt, as well as effective locking of the assembly upon being adjusted to a desired tilt angle are the key features of an ideal antenna mounting assembly.